The Arkham Sessions: Love Triangles And Alter Egos

On this episode of The Arkham Sessions, we revisit the weird love triangle between Bruce Wayne, Selina Kyle and...Batman. Will Bruce ever win Selina's heart? Does he even really want to? And will he ever be able to look past her criminal history?

Loving at a Claw's Distance

When we last saw Selina Kyle, a.k.a. Catwoman, she was helping Batman save Gotham from the sinister Red Claw. Bruce was enamored by Miss Kyle, but she was far more into his dark, brooding alter ego. What seems like an unfortunate situation may also give Bruce the excuse he needs to keep Selina at arm's length, preventing himself from getting hurt. Caring for someone who can't care back means a strange sense of security for Bruce. If she can't love him, she can't hurt him, right? This emotional defense mechanism lends credence to idea that Bruce does, in fact, maintain at least some "Emotional Intelligence" we talked about in last week's show. But just how much remains to be seen.

IQ vs. EQ

As we've stated before, Bruce actually appears vacillate between three personalities: Bruce, the real man, is a hybrid of his socialite Bruce Wayne character and, of course, the Batman. We all know that Bruce has an extremely high IQ, but it's been reported that those with high IQ often have a tendency to have lower EQ, or Emotional Quotient, which explains why people with such high IQ can often be socially awkward. Therefore, there have been cases where those with high problem-solving abilities work out ways to create personalities for themselves that are more socially acceptable. Is the Bruce Wayne persona Bruce's way of compensating for his low Emotional Quotient?

Arkham Sessions At Long Beach Comic Con

Also, be sure to see me at Long Beach Comic Con this weekend! We'll have a panel with Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti on Sunday at 4pm where I'll be discuss the psychology of Harley Quinn, one of my all-time faves...for reasons...! So come say "hi!"